


Open

by SamuelJames



Category: Handsome Devil (2016)
Genre: M/M, National Coming Out Day, Previous Bullying Mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-16 05:51:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12336741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamuelJames/pseuds/SamuelJames
Summary: Conor makes an Instagram post for National Coming Out Day





	Open

**Author's Note:**

> _**Title:** Open_   
>  _**Pairing:** Conor Masters/Ned Roche_   
>  _**Rating:** PG-13_   
>  _**Summary:** Conor makes an Instagram post for National Coming Out Day._   
>  _**Notes:** Part of my one word collection where the single word prompt will be the fic title. Prompts are taken from [this list](http://artjournalist.com/one-word-art-journal-prompts/) and will be of varying lengths. Since I've rarely met a fandom I didn't want to stray into, there will be tons of different ones and various pairings._   
>  _**Disclaimer:** This transformative work has been created purely for entertainment purposes. No profit is made or sought. No copyright infringement is intended._   
>  _**Archiving Information:** Please do not archive elsewhere on the net or in other formats/languages._

Conor knows the exact picture he wants to use and Ned agrees completely. It's them on Tower Bridge, a selfie on Conor's phone where Ned is kissing his cheek and Conor has his arm wrapped round Ned. He looks so happy in the picture and the trip had been great. Ned's sunglasses had rainbow coloured frames and they were pushed up off his face just for the picture. The words to go with the post are harder and he edits several times, getting his boyfriend's input on it.

"It's good, Conor. People will hate what I did and they should but it's part of your story. I'm so proud of you for opening up because there will be some kid like you who felt they had to choose or coaches like Pascal who'd try to drive a kid away but if they can see that someone who plays for their country is out then it makes a difference."

"Thanks. I got lucky to end up at Wood Hill."

He makes a few more tweaks and reads it aloud in case he's edited something so much that it no longer makes sense. Ned suggests about ten different hashtags and Conor adds some of them before making his post. It cross-posts to his Twitter and even random training photos gets tons of comments so he puts his phone down before the deluge can start and kisses Ned who is happy to mark National Coming Out Day by pulling Conor down onto the couch with him.

On a crowded 27 bus, Paul Dillon is checking his Facebook and getting bored switches over to Twitter where he clicks on the Instagram link for one of Conor Master's posts. The image shocks him and he tilts his phone a little so the person next to him won't notice it. Conor Masters is gay, his crush and one of Ireland's best players is gay. Yeah he's way older but he's hot and whoever the red head is is a very lucky guy indeed. He looks at Conor's smile and then reads the text underneath.

This is me with the man I love in London last year. I haven't had to come out in a while because my friends and family know and my team knows but it must be somewhat of a secret because people still speculate when I so much as talk to a woman. I was outed at school by my now boyfriend because he stood out and some of the people we went to school with used that to harass and bully him. He's been long since forgiven and as you can see from his shades he's happy not to blend in. I only came to be at school with him because at my previous school someone found out and several people made it their business to try and beat it out of me. I wonder how they look back on that time and if they'd support their kids if any of them were LGBT+. There will be someone out there who thinks they have to hide and pretend but being someone else is really tiring and I hated watching everything I said or did. A former teacher of mine said it would get better and it did. There are places in the world where we would be imprisoned for loving one another and I am so lucky to live in a country where I could maybe marry him one day. Not all my family accepted me and it may be safer to keep your secret till you get out of home but there is hope and even if you can't see the happy ending, don't give up on wishing for it. #nationalcomingoutday #pride #lgbt+ #boyfriends #loveislove #itgetsbetter #london 

Paul rereads the text and admits that hiding might be the safe option, he doesn't know how his mam and dad would react. It's nearly his stop and he has to put his phone away and go and sit in class with people who don't know his secret. He's only in transition year and he doesn't want to spend the next three years pretending he likes girls but it's definitely preferable to any of his mates knowing exactly why he's so into rugby.


End file.
